Nature News
Stranded whales given a break before hoses employed
May 25, 2007, 13:38 GMT
San Francisco - Scientists on Thursday gave two whales stranded in a California river far from the ocean a break from audio recordings designed to coax them back to their natural environment, saying they didn't want to distress them or desensitize them to the sounds.
But they said they would try a new plan Friday: spraying the whales with fire hoses. Scientists have never tried the method before and don't know how the whales would react. Scientists also are working on a plan to inject the whales with antibiotics via dart gun to help heal wounds that are worsening the longer the marine mammals stay in fresh water.
The new initiatives were adopted after recordings of killer Orca's preying on whales, and loud metal banging failed to scare the two humpback whales from the Sacramento River back to the ocean Wednesday night, 11 days after the mother and calf were believed to have swam under San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge.
The mother and calf, nicknamed Delta and Dawn, have been circling at the Rio Vista bridge, 120 kilometres from the ocean since Monday after beginning to swim back toward the ocean on Sunday.
Researchers have become increasingly concerned because the whales are showing signs of distress, wildly slapping their tales in the water. They have also noted with concern the worsening state of the whales' skin and gashes on their backs.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-AgenturCOMMENT
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Older Talkback
page: 1
Good idea 'Problem Solver'! They could also do what they did to Willy from Free Willy, take them out of the water and drive them to the sea.
I hope the two of your aren't serious...
The first two comments are probably worth a shot. To the third guy; sometimes the little guy comes up with a solution that will get the job done. Technology is great, but sometimes you have to go back to the basics to get things done!
GET 'ER DONE!
They wont go under the bridge until the vibrations from the over passing cars cease. Even at this point if they blocked off the bridge they would likely not go under due to conditioning. About the only way to get them under would be the way we got seals out of the river in my area. Electric prodding. Simply run a line across the river with dangling wires which are charged very lightly. As it gets closer whales and seals sense it and flee even when distressed. Well all except that stupid Seal Lion. He kept trying to swim up river and getting shocked. We still got him to the sea though eventually. The only bad thing is you will kill a number of fish.
I dunno, most of us where I live would have killed them by now. Were not exactly adverse to putting down anything... man or beast.
...please rush this to the scientist..why in the world would you spray the whales w/fresh water when the fresh water is destroying their skin as it is !!why speed up their death and pain and suffering,,
...please rush this to the scientist..why in the world would you spray the whales w/fresh water when the fresh water is destroying their skin as it is !!why speed up their death and pain and suffering,,thks bcm
There in fresh water. Covered in it. How is spraying fresh water around them going to be any more damaging? I doubt the method will work. If it does Ill be very happy.
Given say about.. 5 days more Id recommend euthanasia. If the animals cant get out, it may be wise to put them out of there misery. Mind you.. Im not sure how your going to quickly kill a whale. Im not recommending causing them any more pain then they are in.
Honestly though this isn't a matter of ecological importance. The whales populations aren't that bad at the moment. What is at issue is that we have two disputably sentient creatures which are in pain and are fearing for there lives most likely. I pray they find there way to freedom.
They'll make use of them, before they spoil...
Why dont they just get out the harpoons and sell the blubber to Japan?
why don't they consult kc rove? he knows every trick.
Problem Solver and others must not be aware of the fact that the LFAS (Low Frequency Active Sonar) tested by the Navy has resulted in mass beachings and deaths of whales and dolphins. A Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) report states that the Bahamas event (a LFA sonar test on March 15, 2000)is undeniable evidence that high-power military sonar systems can and do kill marine mammals.
'An investigative report released by the Navy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has established with virtual certainty that the mass mortality was caused by a Navy battle group using mid-frequency range active sonar in the vicinity. Although active sonar has been suspected in previous whale beachings, prompt analysis in this case of the dead whales enabled scientists to confirm, for the first time, the lethal role of the sonar system.'
Further intensive analysis on one of the stranded beaked dolphins, (including CAT-SCAN testing conducted at Harvard University) by Kenneth C. Balcomb, III with the Center for Whale Research, (on site during the Bahamas mass stranding documented) 'the killing is largely due to injurious resonance phenomena created by the U.S. Naval sonar system in the whales' cranial airspaces, tearing apart delicate tissues around the brains and ears.' The mass strandings in the Bahamas 'conclusively demonstrated the lethality of high-powered sonars, and it provided the opportunity to understand how sonar has been killing whales in vast expanses of ocean around the world.' **
** Jean-Michel Cousteau, March 22, 2001: www.planetpuna.com/siriusa/VOD/vod-vol-3No-2.htm
The following site reproduces and summarizes the February 23, 2001 by Ken Balcomb to the SURTASS LFAS Program Manager reviewing that event: www.oceanmammalinst.com/kenbalcombletter.htm
An excerpt from that summary:
'When Cuvier's beaked whales are exposed to high intensity sonar at their airspace resonance frequency via LFAS or mid-range sonar, [it] can be painful and life threatening. Envision a football squeezed to the size of a ping-pong ball by air pressure alone. Now envision this ping -pong ball compressing and decompressing hundreds of times per second. Imagine this ping -pong ball located in your head, between your two ears. This is what the Cuvier's beaked whales experienced as a result of the Navy's sonar testing in the Bahamas in March 2000. Airspace resonance phenomena resulted in hemorrhaging which caused the stranding and deaths in the Bahamas.'
So I'm thinking that maybe the sonar isn't so much the Little Guy/Big Idea Common Sense(TM) solution it's already getting cracked up to be.
Hmmm.
-BT
Gaiacomm International has a technololgy developed from the whales....according to the website
Probably called 'spouting' nonsense
page: 1
Problem solverMay 25th, 2007 - 15:18:53
Have they tried high power sonar yet? There was a report when the military were testing sonar on battle ships to potentially look for subs down south last year dolphins and a whale were beaching themselves in high #s trying to get away. Perhaps they could equipt a ship and almost push them out using this method. Although this may be considered cruelty, it could also prove to be a life saving move. Just my 2 cents.
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